Snow-fence.



H, J. SGHWEITZER.

SNOW FENCE.

APPLICATION nun) JAN. 20, 1910.

Patented Bea 20,1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H. J. SGHWEITZER.

SNOW FENCE.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 20, 1910.

Patented Dec. 20, 1910.

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SNOW FENCE. APPLICATION nun JAN. 20', 1910.

979,036; Patented Dec.20,1910.

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a fJErvnan JS'chweier HERMAN J. SCHWEITZER, F PUTNEY, SOUTH DAKOTA.

SNOW-FENCE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 20, 1910.

Application filed January 20, 1910. Serial No. 539,022.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN J. SCHWEIT- ZER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Putney, in the county of Brown and State of SouthDakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSnow-Fences,

of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in snowfences.

Railroads which operate in climates where heavy driving snow storms areprevalent during the winter months are compelled to erect fences on thesides of cuts to prevent the snow from drifting ontothe tracks. Anordinary tight board fence is unsuited for this purpose as it receivesthe entire force of the wind and is very liable to be overturned.

The object of this invention is to provide a fence which will be strong,inexpensive of construction "and will serve to efficiently prevent thesnow from drifting into the cut on the side of which it is to be placed.

A further object of this invention is to provide a fence which willcause the snow to be banked up behind it but will not offer enoughresistance to the wind so as to be destroyed.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription, and it will be understood that changes 'in the specificstructure shown and described may be made within the scope of the claimswithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which likenumerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a series of my improved fence sections.Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailview of one section of my fence. Fig. 4: is a rear elevation of onesection of my fence taken in opposite direction to Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is anenlarged view of the hooks which grasp the uprights. Fig. 6 is amodification of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a sectional view along the line 7-7 ofFig. 3. Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view showing the means ofsecuring the brace rods to the standards. Fig. 9 is an enlarged detailview of the means provided for vertically securing the fence panel. Fig.10 is a modification of Fig. 7

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the main standards of my fence,which are preferably made of angle iron, although any other suitablestructural iron may be used. For greater substantiality they areinclined at about 30 degrees from the vertical and are joined togethernear the top by brace rods 2, which serve to strengthen the fence andkeep the uprights in spaced relation to one another. The ends of therods 2 pass through holes 3 in the standards 1 and within said standardsare reduced to half thickness one of the reduced portions of one rodpassing over the reduced portion of the other and pins 4; securedthrough the two reduced portions. Secured to the under side of eachstandard 1 at a point about two thirds of the way up from the ground isa bracing standard 5, between which stand Yard and the main standardis'secured a horizontal brace rod 6. Passing from a point near theground on each bracing standard to the junction of the next adjacentbracing standard and the horizontal brace rod connecting it with themain standard is an additional bracing link-7, two of which are joinedat their intersections by buckles 8. By this system of standards andbrace members it will be seen that a very substantial fence structurehas been provided, which is well adapted to resist the force of thewind.

At a point where the standards 1 and 5 meet the surface of the groundthey are bifurcated, one furcation 9 extending vertically downward inthe ground for securing the fence, and the other 10 extendinghorizontally and attached to a plate 11 which rests on the surface ofthe ground and prevents the fence from sinking of its own weight whenthe muddy condition of the ground after a thaw would offer but slightsupport without some such provision.

Between the standards are secured the panels of my snow fence. Thesepanels con sist of a plurality of slats 12 of wood or metal as desired,which are secured to the vertical end bars 13 in jalousied relation toone another. These slats are of any desired construction or design aswill best resist the force of the wind. An additional vertical brace bar14 is positioned midway between the end bars and serves to furtherstrengthen the fence panel. To both ends of the end bars 13 are securedlaterally extending hooks 15 which slidably grasp the main standards 1and hold the panels secure. The shanks of these hooks contact with thelongitudinal flange of the angle iron. In the case angle iron is usedthe hooks are in the form shown in Figs. 5 and 6. On the end of the baradjacentthe flange side of the angle non standard is a hook of the formshown in Fig. 5. In this form the curved portion of the hook 16 passesaround the far edge of the standard and a finger 17 is secured to theshank of the hook and impinges against the flanged side of the mainstandard. The hooks 15 on the end bars of one frame overlie the similarhooks on the end bars of the adjacent frames, so that when one frame isforced upward by the pressure of the snow, the hooks will engage andimpart a starting movement to the adjacent frame, should the adjacentframe fail to move readily.

The hook shown in Fig. 6, which is adapted to secure the fence panel tothe main standard fro-m the opposite direction to that of the hook shownin Fig. 5 is provided with a spur member 18, which passes on theopposite side of the standard to that contacted by the main shank of thehook. The main shank of the hook is bent at right angles as at 19, toconform with the surface of the angle iron standard as shown in Fig. 6.To further brace the panel against the force of the wind a horizontalbar 20 is secured midway in the panel, this bar passing through openingsin the end bars 18, and terminating in bifurcations 9.1, which pass oneither side of the main standard.

In order to vertically secure the panels on the main standards. Iprovide the following means: A plurality of recesses 22 are formed inthe faces of the main standards, the corresponding rccesses in thestandards being in the same horizontal plane. The recesses are adaptedto receive the heads of springheld dogs 23, which are pivotally mountedon the shanks of either pair of oppositely positioned hooks. By thismeans if it is desired to raise a panel an upward push will accomplishthe result, and the panel is prevented from moving downwardly by thespring held dogs 23. hen itis desired to lower one of the panels thedogs 23 must be held back against the force of the springs 24, when thepanel may be lowered.

By this construction it will be seen that I have provided a verysubstantial snow fence which will prevent snow from drifting intorailroad cuts on which it is used, will afford a passage for the windthrough it and thus avoid its force to a large extent, will not sink ofits own weight into damp ground such as is the result of a thaw, andwhich has panels which may be raised or lowered.

I do not wish to be confined to any particular material or constructionset forth in this specification, but may use other materials and otherforms of parts, as for example, in the case of the hooks which slidablysecure the panels to the main standards, these may be of any desiredshape so as to perform the function required of them.

In the modification shown in Fig. 10 the slats 12 are secured to the endbars in parallel spaced relation, the elements 13 and 15, correspondingto the bars 13 and the hooks 15. In this modification the constructionof the fence panels is simpler but the form shown in Fig. 7 is believedto offer less resistance to the wind.

What is claimed is:

1. In a snow fence. suitably braced standards, panels slidably mountedon said standards, said panels consisting of a plurality of slatssecured in jalousied relation to one another, said standards beingprovided with a plurality of recesses, hooks on said panels embracingsaid standards, spring held dogs on said hooks, the heads of said dogsbeing adapted to be received in said recess.

2. In a snow fence, suitably braced stand ards, panels slidably mountedon said standards, said panels consisting of a plurality of slatssecured in jalousied relation to one another, said standards beingbifurcated at their lower extremities, one of said furcations carrying aplate to rest on the ground, the other furcation being adapted to passinto the earth and secure the standards.

3. In a snow fence. suitably braced stand ards, panels slidably mountedon said standards, said panels consisting of a plurality of slats injalousied relation to one another, end bars and brace bars securing saidslats, hooks on the ends of said end bars adapted to embrace saidstandards, a bar secured in said end and brace bars parallel to saidslats, bifurcations in the ends of said bar, said bifurcations beingadapted to embrace said standards.

4. In a snow fence, standards, panels slidably mounted on saidstandards, recesses in said standards, spring held dogs on extremitiesof said panels, the heads of said dogs being adapted to engage in saidrecesses and prevent downward movement of said panels.

5. In a snow fence, standards, panels mounted within said standards,said panels having end bars, hooks on said end bars adapted to slidablyembrace the said standards, said panels having vertical and horizontalbrace bars.

6. In a snow fence, standards, said standards being bifurcated at theirlower extremities, one furcation carrying a plate to rest on the ground,the other furcation being adapted to pass into the earth and secure saidstandards, recesses in said standards, panels within said standards,hooks on the extremities of said panels, said hooks em- .ards secured tosaid main standards, bracing links between said main standards andbracing standards, said main and bracing standards being bifurcated attheir lower extremities, one furcation carrying a plate to rest on theground, the other furcation passing into the earth for securing saidstandards.

8. In a snow fence, suitably braced standards, panels slidably mountedon said standards, said panels consisting of a plurality of slatssecured in parallel spaced relation to one another, said standards beingprovided with a plurality of recesses, hooks on said panels embracingsaid standards,- and means attached to said hooks to allow an'upwardmovement of said panels on said standards, but to prevent a downwardmovement thereof.

9. In a snow fence, suitably braced standards, panels slidably mountedon said standards, said panels consisting of a plurality of slat-ssecured in parallel spaced relation to one another, said standards beingprovided with a plurality of recesses, hooks on said panels embracingsaid standards, and means to allow an upward movement of said panels onsaid standards, but to prevent a downward movement thereof.

10. A snow fence comprising suitably braced standards, panels slidablymounted on said standards, said panels consisting of rigid end membersand a plurality of parellel spaced slats rigidly secured to saidmembers, and vertical brace rods secured to 'said slats midway of theirlengths.

11. A snow fence comprising supports, anchors on the supports, bracesfor the supports, spacing means for the supports, adjustable framescarrying snow excluding members and mounted 011 the supports, a base,and means 011 the supports adapted to be secured to said base.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

HERMAN J. SCHVVEITZER.

Witnesses F. E. BANDIMERE, W. 'B. MILLER.

